A typical RDT employs a dipstick or cassette format. A biological specimen (such as a blood) collected from a patient is applied to a sample pad on the test strip (or card) along with certain reagents. After a length of time (depending on the test), the presence of specific bands in the test strip (card) window indicates whether a certain antigen of interest is present in the patient's sample.
Typically, a drop of sample (e.g., blood) is added to the RDT through one hole (sample well), and then a number of drops of buffer are usually added through another hole (buffer well). The buffer carries the sample along the length of the RDT. In the currently marketed RDTs for malaria, hemoglobin present in red blood cells typically causes background residual background, which degrades the test. Lateral flow assays are an important tool in rapid diagnostic test (RDT). A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) is a medical diagnostic test that is quick and easy to perform. RDTs are suitable for preliminary or emergency medical screening, for use in medical facilities with limited resources, and offer a useful alternative to microscopy in situations where reliable microscopic diagnosis is not available or is not available right away. They also allow point-of-care (POC) testing in primary care in situations where formerly only a laboratory test could provide a diagnosis. RDTs do not require clinical diagnostic methods, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or polymerase chain reaction (PCR), can be performed independent of laboratory equipment by minimally trained personnel, and deliver instant results. RDTs provide results within two hours, and typically provide results in approximately 30 minutes.
However, to accomplish rapid diagnostic a reader and method is also required to perform analysis. In many situations the reader itself is expensive, requires maintenance and testing for quality control, and extensive operator training for accuracy. In certain areas, especially remote hospitals and third world countries, this is impractical. Thus, there is a need for a reader that is robust in these types of settings, low cost, portable, and is easy to maintain.